SAUDI ARABIA — It was a tale of extremes between challenger Anthony Joshua and unified champion Andy Ruiz at today’s rematch weigh-in at the Diriyah Arena.
Anthony Joshua tipped the scales at 237, 10 pounds less than he weighed in June and his lowest tally since 2014. Ruiz, who was rumored to be shedding pounds for the big rematch, increased his girth by 15 pounds since the first bout and weighed in at 283 pounds. That is Ruiz’s highest weight in 10 years.
PREDICTION: Of all the excellent contests we’ve had in 2019, Joshua-Ruiz II has by far the most buzz. A big part of that is the unpredictable nature of what we could see tomorrow night. Both can win by knockout. A decision by either man is not out of the question.
What has me leaning slightly towards AJ is despite the decisiveness of the first bout, I feel the challenger has more tools to win. He took care of the bulk issue which should make him lighter on his feet and able to keep Ruiz on the end of that massive right hand.
In the first bout, Joshua’s recklessness created the opening for Ruiz to shock the world. I see a much more conservative Joshua keeping those opportunities to a minimum and slowing chopping down a noticeably slower Ruiz with the extra 15 pounds. The tension-filled bout then turns lopsided over the last few rounds. JOSHUA TKO7
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 